Containers of relatively large size are commonly used for the bulk transportation and storage of materials such as, e.g., solvents, lubricants, inks, dyes, abrasives, adhesives, resin, insecticides, dry chemicals, powdered detergents, grains, frozen concentrate, meat, spices, sauces, and the like. These bulk containers must be capable of withstanding the weight of the contents as well as the rough handling to which they may be subjected. Further, they should be capable of being stacked on top of one another and should remain securely closed in the event they are tipped over or dropped.
A bulk container commonly in use comprises a cylindrical drum made of solid fiber, plastic or metal. These drums typically are provided in sizes from 35 to 55 gallons and have metal rings or bands at their top and bottom ends, with a lid or cover removably secured in place by a clamping band. The drums can be picked up and transported by mechanized equipment, including engaging the tines of a forklift under the rim provided by the band at the top of the drum. They also may be manually moved around on a supporting surface by tilting the drum and rolling the bottom edge of it along the supporting surface.
Depending upon the product stored in them, when full these cylindrical drums can weigh upwards of 500 pounds. Accordingly, manual handling of them can be difficult, especially when they are tilted and rolled along a supporting surface, since the metal band at the top does not provide much surface to grip and control the drum. Moreover, the circular configuration at the bottom end enables momentum or inertia to be built up when the drum is being rolled, making it difficult to control.
Further, due to their construction, cylindrical drums must be fully assembled and shipped to a user in their normal usable configuration. This requires substantial storage and shipping space for empty drums, adding to freight and warehousing costs. In addition, these types of drums are not easily recyclable.
To address these concerns with prior art containers, applicant developed a multi-sided bulk shipping container for liquids and semi-liquid fluids in drum form made of corrugated fiberboard and that generally looks, handles, stores, ships, and can be received like the fiber, plastic or steel cylindrical drums conventionally used. These containers are described in Applicant's prior copending patent application Ser. Nos. 12/471,904, filed May 26, 2009 and 12/471,949, filed May 26, 2009, the disclosures of which are incorporated in full herein by reference. The containers described in those applications comprise multi-sided bins having an integral rim at their upper end, and a lid that is placed over the open upper end to close it. Locking means on the bin and lid interlock to secure the lid to the bin. The locking means includes inwardly bendable locking strips on the lid skirt that engage in notches in the rim, and a locking band placed around the lid skirt to press the bendable locking strips into the notches and clamp the lid to the rim. The containers may be palletized for handling and storage, and have superior stacking strength, with a top to bottom compression of 6,000 pounds, and may be stacked three high with a safety factor of 5:1. They are easily and fully recyclable and when empty the containers may be shipped and stored in a knocked-down or flattened condition, although they can be shipped in fully assembled condition, if desired. The containers may be lifted and carried by engaging the tines of a forklift under the rim at the top of the bin, and they may be manually moved by tilting and rolling them on their bottom edge. The rim at the top of the container provides a more secure surface for engagement with the tines of a forklift, and better gripping and control when the containers are being manually moved by tilting and rolling them on their bottom edge. Further, the plurality of short straight sides or surfaces provided by the multi-sided construction retards the build-up of momentum or inertia when the containers are tilted and rolled on their bottom edge, thereby enhancing control over the containers when they are being moved manually.
Although the containers described in applicant's above-noted prior co-pending patent applications meet or exceed the requirements for normal use, they may not meet the UN/DOT regulations for use in hazardous waste disposal. In order to be fully certified under UN/DOT regulations for use in hazardous waste disposal, the drum needs to pass a series of 48″ drops while containing 500 lbs of material. Under these extreme conditions the lid in conventional containers could become dislodged from the bin.
Accordingly, there is a need for an affordable, recyclable, functional bulk container for liquids and semi-liquid fluids that has the advantages of a cylindrical drum but that is free of the disadvantages, and that has a lid that resists dislodgement when the container is tipped over or dropped. In particular, it would be desirable to have a container as above that meets or exceeds the UN/DOT regulations for use in hazardous waste disposal.